“We have to visit the temples in the order in which we arrived,” Auric said. “That means the Fire Temple is first.”
“Why can’t we go to the Air or Earth one first?” I asked. “They’re both closer.”
“Because that’s what the Gods decreed,” Slade said.
Jasin flashed me a suggestive grin. “Definitely fine with me.”
“I suspect they made that rule to keep it fair and to encourage us to find you faster,” Auric said, with a shrug. “Either way, we need to head to the Fire Realm first.”
For the next few minutes, Auric, Jasin, and I plotted a course to the Fire Temple, with a few helpful comments from Slade, while Reven ignored us entirely. Once that was done, the men’s horses were brought out, each one as unique as their riders. I didn’t have a horse, and certainly didn’t have the money to buy one. Not that there were any for sale in a town as small as Stoneham anyway.
“You’ll have to take turns riding with one of us,” Auric said, from atop his elegant white horse with the gold-trimmed saddle.
“She can ride me any time.” Jasin winked. “I mean, ride with me.”
“I’m sure that’s what you meant.” I rolled my eyes and threw my pack on the back of Auric’s horse. Jasin was a little too eager, and the other two were keeping their distance from me, so Auric it was.
Auric offered me his hand and I climbed onto the horse behind him. A jolt of surprise and desire shot through me when I pressed against his back, along with the realization of how close we were. It had been years since I’d been this close to a man, but in the next few days I’d have to sit with all of the men like this. Of course, if they were really my mates, I’d be doing a lot more than just riding a horse with them soon.
I hesitated, then slid my arms around Auric, trying not to focus on the feel of his strong chest or his clean, fresh scent that made me want to get even closer. He sucked in a breath at my touch, but then rested his hand over mine and gave it a quick squeeze.
“Ready?” he asked.
I cast one last glance back at the town that had been my home for the last three years, then turned to gaze at my other companions. Each one was staring at me, waiting for me to give the signal to leave. Reven, on his swift black steed, looking broody and bored. Jasin, impatiently twitching on his dark stallion that looked like it was no stranger to combat. And Slade, on his large chocolate brown horse, waiting with a steady, calm demeanor.
“Let’s go,” I said.
My arms tightened around Auric as the horse began to move. It had been three years since I’d ridden a horse and I had the feeling it would take some time to get used to it again. By the time we stopped, I’d probably be sore all over.
As we rode out of town, the soldiers watched us with stony glares and a few people stepped out of their houses to gawk at our strange procession, but no one seemed all that sad to see me leave. I’d killed Koth, and might as well have killed Roark too. They weren’t the first men I’d killed and likely wouldn’t be the last, but their deaths still weighed heavily on me. Taking a life never got easier, nor did seeing a dead body, even if the person deserved it. I only hoped Tash and her mother would be okay.
I gazed at the forest where I’d gone hunting every day for the last few years. I’d promised Tash I would return someday, but it was hard to know what lay ahead of me, or how different I would be if I did return. Would I truly be the Black Dragon then? I’d never seen the current Black Dragon before, but I knew she was immortal, could control all four elements, and turned into a great winged beast with huge talons and glowing eyes. Was that my fate as well?
And what would the Black Dragon do when she learned I was like her?
13
Auric
Kira was quiet as we left Stoneham and traveled on the road alongside the edge of the forest, but I was constantly aware of her presence. Not only were her arms wrapped tight around my chest, but her feminine curves were pressed against my back in a way that was hard to ignore. Especially since I wasn’t used to anything like this. I spent my time with books and…well, that was about it. I certainly wasn’t very good with women and didn’t know what to say to them. Now I was put in a position where I desperately wanted to get to know my future mate better, but was also unsure how to talk to her. I bet none of the other men had that problem.
“Is your head okay?” I asked her.
She pressed a hand to the back of her head. “Surprisingly it is. No pain at all, actually. They must not have hit me as hard as I’d thought.”
“That’s good.” I paused. “Are you comfortable?”
“As comfortable as can be expected, considering I haven’t ridden a horse in years.” She shifted behind me, making her breasts rub against my back, a sensation that made my trousers suddenly tight. “How long do you think it will take to reach the Fire Temple?”
“I estimate it will take about eight or nine days, depending on how long we stop and if we have to go out of our way to avoid any problems.”
“Is that all?” she asked, her voice hollow.
Was she nervous about this too? “I believe we’ve mapped out the most efficient route, but if you’d like to go slower or stop somewhere along the way I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”
“No, it’s fine,” she said, then drew in a long breath. “Eight or nine days is simply not a lot of time to get to know all of you, before we…”
“Before we become mates.”
“Yes.”
I understood her concern all too well. “None of us want to rush you. Take as much time as you need.” I hesitated, glancing over at the Fire Realm soldier, who looked at ease on his horse. "You might want to spend extra time with Jasin though, since you’ll have to bond with him first.”
“Probably. But your temple is second.”
“True.” I cleared my throat at the thought of what that meant. “You’ll have a lot more time to get to know Slade and Reven before we arrive at their temples, at least.”
“I suppose so,” she said. “What else can you tell me about all of this?”
“Not much, I’m afraid. I scoured the library in Stormhaven for any information after the Air God visited me, but found very little of interest. What I did find, I picked up from various different texts that otherwise seemed to have nothing to do with the Black Dragon or the Gods. One was on geography, one was on fashion, and one was on food. I suspect the Black Dragon had the rest destroyed.”
“Probably,” Kira said. “She didn’t want anyone to be able to challenge her.”
“That seems likely. I’m hoping I might be able to uncover more during our travels. I’d like to record all of this too, for future generations. Assuming we survive and the Black Dragon doesn’t destroy my writings too.”
“So you’re a scholar?” she asked. “And a nobleman, I assume, judging from your clothes.”
I tried not to react to her question and chose my words carefully. “Yes, I’m a member of House Killian, but I spend most of my days in the library. Or I did before all of this, anyway.”
“House Killian? Does that mean you’re related to the royal family of the Air Realm?”
“Yes,” I replied hesitantly. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t feel comfortable divulging the full story yet. “But I’m no one of consequence.” There, that was true enough.
“Maybe not to you, but I guarantee your life has been very different from mine and the other men. You grew up in luxury and never had to worry about where your next meal would come from or whether you could afford to repair your shoes.”
I wondered what she had gone through before we arrived in her village. She wasn’t wrong either. Gods, she must think I was pathetic, and if she only knew the full truth, she’d definitely think the worst of me. Now I really couldn’t tell her. “That is true. I grew up in privilege and have little to complain about.”
“I didn’t mean what I said as an insult,” Kira added, with the slightest brush of her hand against mine. “I was
only pointing out the differences between all of us.”
“I understand.” I tilted my head as I considered. “Perhaps the Gods chose the four of us to be your mates for the sheer reason that we are all so different from one another.”
“That could be. The Air God didn’t give you any hint of why he picked you?”
“No, not at all. He was pretty vague about everything though. Of course, I was also pretty shocked at the time, so I didn’t get to ask him as many questions as I would have liked.”
“What happened? I know you all supposedly met the Gods, but I don’t know the details.”
My hands tightened on the reigns as I thought back to what occurred a month ago. “I’ve always been an early riser, and I like to take breakfast outside in the garden at dawn, usually with a book or two. That morning it was unusually windy outside and I could barely read because the pages kept turning. I nearly went inside, but then he appeared. The Air God.”
“What did he look like?” she asked.
“Like a giant made out of a tornado. He was composed of swirling wind and lightning, and his voice was like thunder. As he spoke to me, everything around me floated in the air. My books. My breakfast. The bench I’d been sitting on.” I shook my head, remembering how shocked and confused I’d been. “He told me I’d been chosen to be the next Golden Dragon and that I had to find you so we could take the place of the current Dragons. Then he sent a rush of air through me, lifting me up into the sky, and I thought I would surely plummet to my death. Instead I floated back down, but he was gone.”
“It sounds like something from a dream.”
“Yes, it does. I questioned everything that happened, sure that I’d been imagining it all, but then I began moving things without touching them, and one night woke up floating in the air. Not to mention, I had this overwhelming urge to head northwest to find you.”
“What did your family think of all that?” she asked.
“I didn’t tell them anything. The Air God warned me not to speak of this with anyone except you and your other mates. Of course, it was difficult to hide my powers from my family, but people are often willing to believe there was a sudden gust of wind or a strange breeze instead of magic.”
“Were they okay with you leaving?”
“I informed them I was traveling to Thundercrest to visit the library there, but once I was on the road I escaped my guards and came here.” I frowned as my guilt at deceiving my family returned. “I left them a note telling them I was all right, but they’re probably looking for me now. I hope they’re not too worried.”
She shifted again behind me, as if trying to get comfortable. “Are you close with your family?”
“Yes. For the most part.” Talking about my family would be tricky without revealing more about who I truly was, so I changed the subject. “What of you? I’m guessing those people back there were not your family.”
“No, my family is long gone.”
I heard something in her voice that made me think this wasn’t something she cared to elaborate on, and I fell silent. I could understand not wanting to talk about some things about our pasts. None of that mattered anyway. Our old lives were over. What mattered now was the journey ahead of us.
14
Kira
We traveled along the road with the forest all around us, Jasin in the lead to make sure the way was clear, while Slade and Reven rode behind to guard our backs. On any other day I would be heading into the forest right now and trying to find some game for Roark to make sure that Tash would be safe and that I would be fed tonight. Now I was sitting behind this man I’d just met, with three other strange men around me, and together we were supposed to save the world. I still didn’t know how I had gotten involved in this, and wondered if it was all a big mistake. Maybe the men were supposed to find some other girl. Maybe the Gods chose wrong.
Even if I ignored the whole “overthrow the Black Dragon” goal, which was so far-fetched it was laughable, the thought of bonding with all the men was hard to swallow. We would be mated for the rest of our lives, with the four of them sharing me forever. It was hard to believe they would be okay with that. I could barely fathom it myself, although I had to admit I didn’t hate the idea either. I had to give the Gods credit, they’d certainly found me four men who made my mouth water.
I supposed the only thing to do now was to get to know my future mates better. I’d made some progress with Auric, and over the next few days I’d learn what I could about the other men as well. Especially Jasin. In less than two weeks I’d be expected to sleep with him, and I barely knew a thing about him.
At midday, we stopped beside a small stream for a break and to have a quick meal, but none of us felt like chatting much. I intended to ride with Jasin next, but then I caught him casting fire, moving it from hand to hand like a juggling ball, and fear crept down my spine. Even though he wasn’t the one who’d killed my family, I’d had a fear of fire ever since that day.
I decided to ride with Slade, whose solid, quiet presence soothed me as we rode east through the Earth Realm. He was so large and muscular it was a pleasure to hold onto him and feel all that contained strength under my arms, even if he had no interest in making conversation.
When the sun touched the horizon, Jasin called for us to halt. “This looks like a good place to camp for the evening.”
He’d chosen a spot in a small clearing near a freshwater stream. Thick trees sheltered us on either side, filled with the sounds of birds chirping as they found their resting spots for the night.
As I eased off Slade’s horse, I let out a pained groan. Every muscle in my body seemed to hurt, especially my thighs and back. If I was this sore after only a few hours of riding, how would I make it through nine or ten days of this?
“Are you all right?” Slade asked, resting one of his large hands lightly on my shoulder.
I stretched my back, trying to ease the aches in it. “Just sore. I haven’t ridden in some time.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Jasin said. “I’ve seen plenty of soldiers get broken in. Try to stretch and walk around, that will help.”
“Sitting behind one of us can’t be helping either,” Slade said.
Jasin nodded. “We should get her a horse when we can.”
“With what money?” I asked.
“Money isn’t an issue,” Auric said.
I blew out a long breath. “Maybe not at the moment, but we have a long journey ahead of us.”
Reven stayed silent the entire time, almost as if he wasn’t there at all. He removed his things from his horse, then spread his bedroll out on one side of the clearing. The rest of us followed his lead, quickly setting up camp while the sky darkened.
I grabbed my bow and headed into the forest before the men could stop me. Tash’s mother had been kind enough to pack us some rations, but they would only last so long if we didn’t supplement them with fresh food. Besides, we would need to keep our energy up for the journey ahead. We could stop in an inn every few days, but that wasn’t possible every night.
The Spirit Goddess must have been smiling upon me, because I managed to take down a large gray hare almost immediately. Maybe she had chosen me after all, although I didn’t remember a visit from her.
Wait. The old woman I’d found in the forest. Could that have been her? If so, why hadn’t she given me more information? Or some powers, like the guys had gotten from their Gods?
I pondered this as I made my way back to the clearing, where Jasin had started a small fire in the center. Slade and Reven were tending to the horses, while Auric was studying the map. I got to work skinning the hare, but then Jasin took over cooking duties.
“I’ve got this covered,” he said, with a cocky grin.
“Be my guest,” I said, stepping back.
He pulled out some herbs from his packs and tended to the hare, then strung it up over the fire. I moved my bedroll farther away from the flames, then sank down onto it, remembering the last tim
e I’d traveled like this. Back then I’d been alone and terrified, searching for somewhere safe to lay low for a while. At least now I had four men with me who seemed like they could handle themselves in combat, even without their new powers.
When the food was ready, the others settled in around the fire. I pulled out some of the cheese and fruit from Tash’s mother, while Jasin sliced pieces of the hare and served it to us. The tempting aroma had all of us digging in immediately, and it didn’t disappoint.
“This is really good,” I told Jasin. “Where did you learn to cook?”
“From my mom, but also in the army. You pick up all sorts of skills there. I’m not bad with a sewing needle either. But food is my second love, so I made a point to learn to make some decent meals after choking down the other soldiers’ terrible grub.”
“What’s your first love?” Slade asked.
Jasin smirked. “Women, of course.”
“Of course.” I rolled my eyes, while Slade chuckled and Auric shook his head. Reven just looked bored, which seemed to be normal for him.
Once we finished eating, I leaned back on my bedroll and stretched my aching limbs, feeling exhausted but not yet tired enough to go to sleep. “I’d like to get to know you all a little better. Maybe you can each tell me something about yourselves, like where you’re from, or what your life was like before you met a God.”
“Makes sense,” Jasin said. “Guess we better get to know each other, since we’re going to be bound together for the rest of our lives. Not just Kira, but all of us.”
Stroke The Flame Page 5